Category Archives: Opinion piece

This is a repost of a piece I wrote way back in Sept of 2011. I thought it fit in pretty good in today’s environment so I decided to put it back up here. Happy Monday, (assuming that’s possible since Monday is Latin or some other dead language for ‘miserable’, right?)

Some of the information here is dated of course, but keep in mind that Seattle passed the $15 minimum wage and immediately started bleeding jobs. Small businesses can’t do it. They just can’t.

Anyway, do you remember? When we were strong? When we worked? When we made things? I do. And we really were a great nation then I think.

So here ya go. Have a great day of Misery. . .I mean Monday. Monday, yeah. Have a great Monday 🙂

Do you remember when we made things?

I mean when we made things. Here in the USA. We made stuff. Built it from scratch. We manufactured things. Factories were all over, providing income to American workers, and goods for American consumers.

What happened to all that?

Both my grandmothers worked in garment factories when I was a boy. One grandfather was a farmer, the other a carpenter. Both had slow times in the winter, obviously. It was the fact that my grandmothers worked in those factories that kept the lights on, health insurance for the family, and gas in the tanks.

Those factories, along with thousands of others, sit empty and idle now. Some have been converted to offices, or other uses, and a few have simply been demolished. But by and large they sit empty. At best they are used for warehouse space to hold goods now made overseas.

I get tired of going to the hardware store, or even to Wal-Mart, and not being able to find American made goods. Speaking of which, what the hell, Wal-Mart? When Sam Walton was still in charge, it was a point of pride that each store had signs up showing how many goods in the store were made in local factories, and how many jobs those goods were creating/sustaining. Now, you don’t bother, because the truth is, most of your crap comes from China. You know, like those lead toys you sold?

Everyone is worried about the economy. We need jobs, all the political people say. Of course they always say that, and promise we’ll get them, but they never come through. I can’t count how many ‘BIG’ projects have started within easy driving distance of my house, only to close quickly. Some even shut down before they were officially open.

It isn’t the job of the government to create jobs. The only real way they have to do that is to increase an already bloated bureaucracy. The job, the J O B, of the government is to provide a stable environment for the creation of jobs in the private sector. Especially small businesses and companies. That’s where the bulk of the jobs are. So what do they do?

Why they make it damn near impossible for these small businesses and companies to stay in business. Take what Seattle recently did.

They have passed a city ordinance that requires all employers with more than five employees to provide a minimum amount of paid sick leave every year. The more employees you have, the more sick time you have to provide. Can anyone else see that this punishes a successful business by adding still more cost to their operations?

How many jobs will be lost as companies trim their staff in order to be in a position to provide as few sick days as possible. When your employee doesn’t come to work, then you don’t get the productivity of that employee. If you have to pay them for not working, that’s an added cost to the bottom line. Period. No matter what kind of math you use, it’s still going to hurt these companies.

In what way does this government action provide a stable environment that leads to the creation of new jobs? It doesn’t. In what way does this government action provide a stable environment that keeps people on the job? It doesn’t. There seems to be not one lick of common sense in the whole damn idea.

How many companies will close, and relocate? How many will just close, eliminating those jobs all together? I hope none. But in this economy, which is not being helped by ineffective and indecisive leadership at all levels of government, the simple fact is that some will shrug, admit defeat, and take their ball and go home.

Who can blame them?

Between over regulation, and ‘off-shoring’ and ‘out-sourcing’, and whatever else they’re calling it now a days, our manufacturing days seem to be behind us.

Irma is a monster. Largest storm on record for a storm outside the Caribbean or the Gulf. By now maybe anywhere, I don’t know. Mandatory evacuations all up and down the coast now with millions watching and waiting to see what happens.

If you had to evacuate with little to no notice, would you be prepared? If you are separated from family do you have an alternate way to communicate? Do you have a disaster kit with food, water and meds for at least three days? You should have two weeks worth of these things in your house at all times just to be safe. Doesn’t have to be pricey, just plain rice and beans will get you by in a pinch. Maybe a canned ham or two, or even Treet or Spam. Canned chili or ravioli. Anything that can be prepared and eaten with a minimum of fuss. A pack of paper plates, a bag of wipes, and a roll of toilet paper and paper towels is also an essential item, as is cutlery and drinking cups.

This list could keep going but I think you get the idea. Always be prepared. It might be an out of control fire, a quake, or. . .a monster hurricane. But if you have to move and move quickly, you need to be ready for it.

If you pray to the Almighty, please pray for those in Florida, and in the islands already hit. Please remember those who are still digging out from Harvey. And remember those in the northwest who are burning.

I have completed the second novel in the Stormcrow series and sent it off to the publishers just yesterday. This second novel is somewhat longer than the first in the series and will begin to delve a bit deeper into the backgrounds of Tony, Jessica, and Sean. We will also meet some very interesting new characters and have just a bit of fun here and there despite the serious situation the crew finds themselves in. When I get the cover art I’ll post it here, and I’ll also announce here and on my Facebook page when the release date for STORMCROW: Birds of a Feather, is set.

Parno’s Gambit, the third novel in the Blacksheep of Soulan series, will now be my primary focus though I do have other projects simmering on the back burner that I’m working steadily on when hung up somewhere else. I don’t know exactly when Parno’s Gambit will be finished since it really does take a while to hammer out a 150k+ novel, even when you know how you want it to go. 😀

Election Day will be on us come Tuesday. If you haven’t voted early, please remember to exercise your right to vote. Many people over the last 200+ years have made great sacrifices to insure that right for us. I fear if we don’t exercise all of our rights these brave men and women fought and often died for, then we’re making light of those sacrifices. I’d not want to do that. They deserve better, because they earned it. Lets give respect where it’s due and exercise our rights. Not just in voting, but all of our rights. Insist upon them when they’re infringed upon.

I hope all of you had a safe and fun Halloween, and I wish all of you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving as we head that way. This year has left us behind in a hurry it seems.

The following is nothing more than this writer’s personal opinion. I state no facts other than the one that has led me to comment on this (statement by Michael Moore about US Snipers). Your input is welcome if you want to share it. NC

News is buzzing this week with Michael Moore’s tweet about U.S. Snipers being cowards. Various celebrities have responded in support of American service personnel, and the news stories are hot with any reply to the idiot.

Here’s the thing; why bother replying to this idiot? Moore has been exposed as one of ‘them’, the rich people he has literally gotten rich off despising and demonizing in his documentaries. He has become irrelevant in our society. A nobody. Again. Just like he should be.

Saying something outrageous that’s designed and intended to inflame public opinion and garner attention is a last gasp effort by this loser to get his name back into the limelight.

Don’t let him get away with it. When he makes these statements, respond with Michael Who? and then keep on trucking. No one cares what he thinks, no one is hanging on, waiting to see what his opinion is on anything. He’s desperate for attention, probably planning to release another hit piece on America soon, and we’re giving him free publicity for that.

Who really cares what he has to say? This is a man who can’t even be properly respectful to the men an women who are guaranteeing his right to malign them. A man who apparently is so in love with the dollar, and himself, that he’s willing to do anything to get attention drawn to him.

So ignore him. Make him work for his money like everyone else does, and stop giving him all this free air time. Will that make him change and be more respectful of men and women who are literally worth twenty or more of him? Of course not. He doesn’t have any self respect, so he’ll never have any for others.

Full Disclosure?

I've seen a lot of people who review books and what not posting information about the fact that they receive books from people for free in order to review them. Apparently that's in compliance with some sort of law, or legal action.
I have occasionally posted reviews here on this blog, as anyone who reads it knows. I'm not a professional reviewer, or even really an amateur. I just like to read, and then share what I've read. That's all.
Every book I've ever posted a review for on this blog, I bought. Period. No one paid me or anything else. I just wanted to share my thoughts.
So with no idea whether I needed to state this or not, here ya go.
NC

I am a freelance Photographer born and raised in the Southeast. I have uprooted my life in Macon Georgia for a new life as an unlikely cowgirl in love with a handsome cowboy in Wyoming. I hope you enjoy my photo journal on life, love, and the spirit of Wyoming.